Richard Thompson 100m silver-medal winner. - Photo by Charles Pitt

PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad,

(CMC):

Trinidad and Tobago welcomed home its Olympic heroes yesterday, as government ministers and other officials threw a grand ceremony for the athletes at the Piarco International Airport.

Prime Minister Patrick Manning and Sports Minister Gary Hunt were on hand to welcome home 100 metres silver medallist Richard Thompson, along with Marc Burns, Keston Bledman, Aaron Armstrong and Emmanuel Callender, after they touched down aboard a Caribbean Airlines flight, from Barbados at 10 a.m.

The sixth member of the team Darrel Brown did not make the trip home as he was having tendon surgery done in Miami.

Great day

"Today is a great day in the history of T&T, as we welcome home our athletes who have distinguished themselves on the world stage," Manning said.

"Today, we celebrate with these men who have achieved success because of painstaking training, discipline and determination."

T&T collected two silver medals at the 29th Olympiad in Beijing recently when Thompson finished second in the 100 metres and the sprint relay team followed home Jamaica in that event.

Among those present to greet the athletes were former Olympic medallists Ato Boldon and Hasely Crawford, along with National Amateur Athletics Association president, Ephraim Serrette.

Mould youngsters

"This is truly a great feeling for the guys to have the fans come out to greet them. I remember how I felt in 1978 when we won gold at the CAC Games and were greeted by the fans," Serrette said. "It is my hope that the youngsters take in this and draw motivation to make themselves better citizens.

"Sport is the right tool to combat crime and let's hope that what's happening here serve to help mould the youngsters."